What absorbs at 460 cm⁻¹ in an FTIR spectrum?
A band near 460 cm⁻¹ can point to several functional groups. Below are the most likely assignments, ranked by how much published evidence supports each — every one traceable to literature (DOI) and cross-validated against our 130,000+ reference spectra and knowledge graph.
Backed by 8 cited sources
Quick answer
A band near 460 cm⁻¹ is usually interpreted by checking which functional groups repeatedly co-occur there in the literature, then confirming at least one or two additional peaks in the same sample. This page ranks those assignments by accumulated evidence rather than by a single fixed textbook rule.
Possible functional-group assignments
| Functional group | Supporting facts | Cited sources | Top confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon-oxygen (Si-O) | 22 | 21 | 1.0 |
| Siloxane (Si-O-Si) | 20 | 19 | 1.0 |
| Silicon (Si) | 19 | 17 | 1.0 |
| Metal oxygen | 13 | 13 | 1.0 |
| Alkyl C-H | 4 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Hydroxyl (O-H) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Silanol (Si-OH) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Carboxyl (COOH) | 2 | 2 | 1.0 |
| Alkene (C=C) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Aromatic ring | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Sulfate (SO4) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Phosphate (PO4) | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Silicon silicon | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Bromine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Chlorine | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Lignin | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| S s | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Ring structure | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Methyl | 1 | 0 | 1.0 |
| C c single bond | 1 | 0 | 1.0 |
Ranking reflects accumulated literature evidence, not a single fixed rule. Always confirm against your sample context.
Possible materials
| Material | Supporting peaks | Overlapping groups | Cited sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| TiO2 | 460, 1700, 1093 | Metal oxygen | 1 |
| CeO2 | 460, 1554, 1630 | Metal oxygen | 1 |
Materials are shown only when the same literature pool supports this band and at least one additional characteristic peak.
Spectrum logic
This band becomes meaningful only when read with its neighboring peaks. In practice, analysts first look at the assignments above, then check whether the same sample also shows other peaks expected for the same structural motif. A lone band near 460 cm⁻¹ is usually not enough for material identification by itself.
Real-world usage
This type of query is common in polymer identification, unknown plastic screening, QC troubleshooting, recycled-material verification, and literature-backed peak assignment review.
Common mistakes
- Treating one isolated band as proof of a material without checking at least one or two supporting peaks.
- Ignoring overlap: multiple functional groups can contribute near the same wavenumber.
- Skipping validation when additives, blends, oxidation, or contamination may distort the spectrum.
Verification advice
When ambiguity remains, validate the hypothesis with DSC, GC-MS, or TGA, especially for blends, degraded samples, and filled polymers.
Literature behind these assignments
-
confidence 1.0
“FTIR analysis extrapointdefectsattheoxygensiteorattheAlsite.Theactivation showpeaksat460and400cm-1 correspondsto(cid:2)-Al 2O andCeO 3 2 energy barrier is higher for the crystallization of Al 2O 3, if CeO is 2 1200◦C.”
Chandradass 等 - 2009 - Effect of different fuels on the alumina-ceria com DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2008.12.119 -
Silicon (Si) confidence 1.0
“cm-1 two neighboring peaks at about 460 and 500 (d) The appearance of all the previous mentioned changes can be related to Si-O-Si and O-Si-O bending”
El-Batal 等 - 2018 - Studies of Bone-Bonding Ability and Antibacterial DOI: 10.1007/s12633-017-9580-7 -
Ring structure confidence 1.0
“zeolite-Y allocated at 460 A strong band at the Initialmassof reactant Finalmassof reactant - cm-1 565 can be assigned to double ring structures.”
Tailor made Functional Zeolite as Sustainable Potential Candidates for Catalytic Cracking of Heavy Hydrocarbons DOI: 10.1007/s10562-021-03657-x -
confidence 1.0
“spectrum of the porous silicon prior to interesting optical and electrical properties of porous silicon cm(cid:50)1 Oxygenand hydrogen-related peaks appear at 460 (cid:126)Er Sm(cid:33)5-8 and transitiondoped by rare-earth elements and cm(c”
Huang 和 Zhai - 1997 - Fourier transform infrared study of porous silicon DOI: 10.1116/1.589575 -
confidence 1.0
“1036 1386 1630 2922 and 3450 cm-1 The absorption band at 460 has appeared due to the Ga-O cm-1.49,50 stretching mode and due to Mg-O stretching mode at 612 0.5mol%Cr3+,2mol%Si4+ Figure3.”
Mondal 和 Manam - 2017 - Structural and Luminescent Properties of Si4+ Co-D DOI: 10.1149/2.0021708jss -
confidence 1.0
“Peak at 460 for Si-O-Si bending and at cm-1 808 for stretching of the Si-O-Si.”
Nanostructure and Property of Electrospun SiO2-Cellulose Acetate Nanofiber Composite by Electrospinning DOI: 10.1016/j.egypro.2016.12.133 -
Metal oxygen confidence 1.0
“LLM confirmed rule peak-group candidate”
Effects of varying the soaking duration of Eosin Blue sensitized TiO2 photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells DOI: 10.1016/j.ijleo.2020.164169 -
Metal oxygen confidence 1.0
“The band at is due to 1240, the hydroxyls groups in the solids, while, the other bands are 460cm-1 related to the vibrations of the M-O bonds.”
Salas 等 - 2009 - Effect of the SiZr molar ratio on the synthesis o DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2008.08.086
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